Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) has nabbed two partners from leading Japanese firm Mitsui Yasuda Wani & Maeda, in a rare move for the Japanese legal market.

The partners, banking and corporate experts Katsuhiko Fujihira and Yukako Wagatsuma, are joining MoFo’s joint venture with Japanese outfit Ito & Mitomi, which the 950-lawyer US firm secured in 2001.